The Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Community Sports Initiative, launched recently by Dubai Sports Council, is a unique effort to get people to participate in more sporting activities and enjoy the various benefits of doing so.
The initiative is the direct result of the ‘Sport Innovation Laboratory’, a first-of-its-kind discussion organised by Dubai Sports Council under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan in May this year. It was one of the eight recommendations approved by the Crown Prince, who is also Chairman of the Council, after months of discussions with various stakeholders aimed at raising sporting awareness among the UAE’s residents.
In a message, Sheikh Hamdan said: “Physical activity is one of the basic necessities to stay healthy and happy, as well as keeping the people around us happy. “A healthy individual is one who is capable of working hard and giving their all, thus fulfilling their role as an active member in the society in the best way possible. He or she is someone who is capable of achieving great things which would therefore make them part of building the future of our country.
“Which is why sport and physical fitness is receiving attention and care from our wise leadership and has been included in the government’s work curriculum.
“We are pleased to launch this initiative as a quality addition supporting community sport with the collaboration of the various authorities in the Dubai government that work together as one team to accomplish our national goals – building a healthy, happy and productive society.”
The Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Community Sports Initiative is based on six pillars – each of which will be added to the overall programme as part of a planned timeline.
Three components of the Initiative will begin this year – strategic partnerships with various governments and private entities; the launch of community sport activities with special focus on swimming, cycling and running, and seeking co-operation from private clubs, making use of their quality facilities and know-how.
Next year, Dubai Sports Council will launch a smartphone App which will help it communicate better with the residents and get to know the specific sporting needs of the various communities. The App will also encourage people to take part in activities and events, and will encourage them to organise their own games.
Also planned for 2017 is the Dubai Fitness Bus, which will be equipped with fitness machines and experts, and will travel to various parts of the city, thus giving residents a chance to indulge in physical activities closer to their homes.
And, in 2018, Dubai will roll out the Dubai Fitness Index, which will become the most important method to measure how sport is played in the society and how it needs to be developed.
The Index was developed by the University of Alaska for Sport Science after years of research and is approved by the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP). Dubai will become the first non-American city to implement this project.
The Index will collect information and identify accurate indicators which will then be scientifically analysed to figure out the lifestyle planned for residents, with special focus on sporting facilities.
Dubai will be divided into nine areas, and the data provided by the Index about each of these areas will help in planning events better and increasing the number of activities currently organised at the public parks, open beaches, tracks, private clubs and commercial centres.
Another interesting aspect of the Initiative are the appointments of ‘Knights’, or ambassadors, who will help spread the word and encourage more people to take up sports.
Among the knights are coach of the UAE national football team, Mahdi Ali, multiple Paralympics gold medalist Mohammed Khamis, former UAE football star Mohammed Al Kous, current star Ahmed Khalil and CrossFit expert Amna Haddad.
During the official launch of the Initiative, conducted by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, and President of UAE National Olympic Committee, directors of 10 participating government entities signed the agreement to be a part of the programme.
Speaking at the launch programme, Mattar Al Tayer, vicechairman of Dubai Sports Council, said: “We have succeeded in the recent period in raising the percentage of people who regularly take part in physical activities in the emirate of Dubai from 34 per cent to more than 43 per cent through the Dubai Pulse programme.
“Today, we are honoured to launch this initiative that contributes to building a happy society that is made up of active individuals with lots of positive energy.”
